The writing was on the wall when head coach Jim Harbaugh was forced to add Billy Cundiff for a kicking competition to cover the San Francisco 49ers' run to the Super Bowl. The Niners are expected to release veteran kicker David Akers before the start of free agency, Adam Caplan of The Sideline View reported.
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One year removed from a league-high 166 points and one of the greatest place-kicking seasons in NFL history, Akers had no shot of collecting his $3 million salary after missing an unacceptable 13-of-42 field goal attempts last season.
To be fair, Akers wasn't helped by a painful pelvic injury that appeared to kill his accuracy and sap his confidence in 2012. As long as the leg drive returns, he should have no problem bouncing back with another team this season.
The 38-year-old has finished in the top five in points and field-goal conversions in four of the past five seasons.
Teams in the market for a kicker include the New York Giants, Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, New York Jets and Tennessee Titans.
